On March 30 and 31, around 70 professors from TU Ilmenau met at the Ringberghotel Suhl for a closed meeting to discuss the strategic direction of the university. The event, which was organized as a lunch-to-lunch meeting, offered participants the opportunity to network and engage in intensive discussions.
Impulse session and workshops
The conference began with a keynote speech by the President, who emphasized the importance of the conference objectives in the context of the ongoing discussions on the design of Thuringia's higher education landscape and the need for a joint strategy for the future. The participants then took part in four workshops, each of which dealt with different strategic topics. Each workshop was offered four times identically. This allowed participants to attend all workshops and work on all topics. This structure promoted exchange across disciplines and opened up a diverse discussion of the workshop content.
The first workshop, led by the President, focused on profile development and the appointment process. The Vice President for Teaching and Learning led the second workshop, which was dedicated to the further development of the study program portfolio. The third workshop, moderated by the Vice President for Research and Young Scientists, focused on the modernization of the doctoral system. In the fourth workshop, the participants discussed the further development of the funding distribution model under the leadership of the Chancellor.
Summary and outlook
On the second day, the results of the workshops were presented and discussed lively. The diverse contributions to the discussion reflected the commitment and creative energy of the professors to find solutions for the university's future challenges. The European university alliance SUNRISE, a strategic alliance of nine partner universities for innovative and sustainable regional development, which is coordinated by TU Ilmenau, was also discussed. At the end of the events, the next steps were discussed.
It was suggested to meet again in about a year's time as part of a closed meeting to evaluate progress and discuss further strategically relevant topics. Until then, the results of the closed meeting will be presented to the wider university public in various formats, discussed further and implemented. This ongoing reflection and discussion underscores the commitment of the university community and is necessary to position ourselves within the dynamic academic environment and the Thuringian higher education landscape, as well as to renew ourselves as an institution, University President Prof. Kai-Uwe Sattler said in his summary:
This closed-door meeting underscores the value of joint efforts and the necessity of open and constructive dialogue to further develop the university in a sustainable and forward-looking manner. The participants left the meeting with a clear understanding and a strong willingness to actively participate in the further shaping and implementation of the university’s strategic direction. We thank all participants for their constructive engagement and willingness to tackle the upcoming challenges together.